Steel sheet pile threader



Jan. 29, 1952 H; F. cAUDlLL STEEL SHEET PILE THEEADEE 2 sHEET'si-SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 3, 1949 I N VEN TOR. di@ 5M M Hay/Q7 H. F. CAUDILL.

STEEL SHEET PILE THREADER Jan. 29, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1949 Patented Jan. 29, 1952 STEEL SHEET PILE THREADER Howard F. Caudill, Arlington Heights, Ill., as-

signor to Western Foundation Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 3, 1949, Serial No. 125,345

4 Claims.

Thisv invention is concerned with an improved apparatus for threading together adjacent individual sections of sheet metal piling preparatory to driving them into the ground.

More particularly, this invention is directed to a new and improved mechanical threading device for aligning interlocking edges of conventional sheet steel piling sections, so that mechanical threading or interlocking of adjacent pile sections is made possible.

In the construction of dams, levees, dikes, bridges, footings, docks, piers and like structures, it is often necessary to laterally support foundation beds against spreading under pressure, or to confine earth walls, water bearing strata, loose dirt or the like within lateral supporting structures. To meet such conditions, construction engineers have come to utilize sectional metal walls or pilings, usually of rolled steel sheets, so formed as to have mating or interlocking edges to prevent lateral creepage of the finished wall and to maintain maximum support from side pressures. The usual procedure in the construction of such a retaining structure is to insert these sheet sections or piles into the ground by means of a pile driver. After the first section is driven into the earth sand, or loose bed rock; the next section is raised either by the hoisting tackle of the pile driver or by a crane, and the interlocking edges of the two sections are placed in mating position by a man sitting -astride the rst section. The operator of the pile driver or crane then lowers the sheet pile and it is driven into the ground in interlocked relation with the first pile. The process is repeated until the wall is complete. As might well be imagined, the man who sits astride the previously driven piles and performs this mating or threading operation has an extremely diiiicult and dangerous job. I'he swinging sheets suspended by the crane are heavy, frequently weighing several thousand pounds and are liable to be swayed from side to side by the wind, often knocking the man attempting to thread the two sections together oi of his precarious perch atop the driven sections, especially if the driven sections extend some distance above the ground.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved mechanical apparatus for threading adjacent pile sections together, whereby the dangerous hand threading operation described above is eliminated.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved method of threading sheet piling together, which is safer, faster and 2 more positive in operation than previously known methods.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved sheet pile threading apparatus completely operable and controllable by a man on the ground.

These and other objects will appear from time to time as the following specification and description proceed, and will more clearly be apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a threading device made in accordance with this invention, showing the device in operating position for threading adjacent pile sections together;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the threading device shown in Figure 1 in its mounted position between two sheet piles;

Figure 3 is a right hand-end view of the threading device; Y

Figure 4 is a left hand end view of the threading device showing the positioning and contour of the guide rollers;

Figure 5 is a schematic view illustrating the initial operating step and the relative positions of the piles in the threading method using this invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic view'showing the new pile' and the pile threader in their raised positions ready to effect threading between the new pile and the previously set pile; and i Figure '7 is a schematic view showing the new pile in aligned or threaded position ready to be lowered preparatory to driving the newA section into the ground.

In Figure 1 I have illustrated fragmentarily a previously set pile designated P, and an undriven pile designated P. My improved threading apparatus is adapted to eiect a clamping grip under or across the bottom edge of the undriven pile, this bottom edge being designated e. This improved threading apparatus illustrated therein is comprised generally of a pair of draw bars I0, IU, with a bifurcated clamp II mounted thereon, a cam lever I 2 attached between the draw bars to engage a cam plate I3 which contacts the clamp I I and a guide roller I 4 mounted for rotational movement near one end of each draw bar. y

` Each draw bar I0 may be cylindrical in shape with an eye I 6 formed in one end for receiving a transversely positioned pin I1 on which the cam lever I2 is mounted between the two barst The end of each draw bar opposite the eye I6 may be of a small diameter to receive the guide roller I4 ture, a description of the one-halfwwillsuilice -for both.

The front half 2l as shown in lFigs.v 2, 31and4,

' comprises a rectangular metal back plate v23 to which are welded or otherwise secured a pair-of vertical gripping ngers or rectangular metalv plates designated generally at 24, 24 of Fig. 1. Each nger 24 includes a pair of parallel spaced, vertically extending metal nger bars 25. Each nger bar Y2.5 z welded; orl utherwisef4 fastened to back plate '23. Further each nnger bariis provided" with.4 a circular 1' guide'. holeein its. lower andi or 'receiving foneoi the: transversely extending; drawfbars: I vI] mounted for'slidable .movement therethrough. It will befrecognized that cooperatingV pairs of. finger.: bars' 25 are registeringly aligned withV one.- another. `and' have'. their lower ends .extending belowthe lower edge of the back vplate .1 l23..

Asthusmounted on the draw bars, the two clamp halves 2l and 22 may bezrmly drawn" toward one another gfor gripping a` pile .sectionr` P'. by.Y holding means comprisingl a pair of.v nuts and bolts `26; 255 disposed betweenthe individual finger. fbars-z125rof the Vclamp lingers 24 andreaching lbetween'. therfront and back halves ZI and E 22.:of1fthefbifurcatedclamp lin its mounted position below the bottom; 'edge` e of the pile section Pff. vWasher.'platesV "21- may be. inserted beneath the nut and head of each boltt to :prevent b'indingithereoffo'n the. spacedclamp ngerbars 25.2. Eachfof twoiclamphalvesifurther is provided, near its one lower end portion (as atnthe-left handfendzasseen 'in Figs: .1 and 2) with an L shapedzendplate 28..'andzatgits oppositeend with a similar camlf plate I3; The:v end platesl and cam plates extend transversely invvardfof. the back-tplatesff .of thetwo y clamp halves Lto abuttinglyA meet when the clamp halves are drawn together inigrippinga 'pilingP Each-of these plates are securelyy fastened -tothe back plates 2340i; the=elamplmembers2land 22, as by weldngrandi-are adaptedcto receive and guide the drawfbars- Ice therethrough forslidingVv lateral movement. In operation, opposededjacent 'edges of; the endplatesand: cam plates will abut one another between the twoclamp halves 22: and 23 to :insu-ref-properseparation of the-.latter as the boltsaand nuts-26` are tightenedtoldraw the two clampV halves togetheriin 4gripping fa Vpile-Pl. Such af. construction also --insu-res. proper separation of thefrollers ;I llfso that theydo not-grip the :grooves of" the driven pile Pv---sotightly as to bindY therein. and prevent. their rolling movement therealong.

. 'lhecam lever.- I2. may be fconstructed with an enlarged cam l end :.30 .provided with Va 'cylindrical opening ory eyeSIr for` receiving the pin` I'I when mounted thereon. As shown in Figures. 1, v2 and 3,A thegopening.- 31v isoffset from thecen-ter of tionP consists inswinginga new pileP into .the

the. enlarged end. 30, thereby causing the cam the draw bars I when the lever is moved arcu-d ately downward about the pin il. The cam lever may be provided with a suitable opening 32 near its outer end for securing a lanyard 33 thereto.

Since the conventional sheet pile sections'are not flat plates, but are rolled into bent channel contour, it is generally.` necessary to provide a contour bar 34 adapted-'to nt the contour of the particular type of pile sheeting used,Y in order that the bifurcated clamp II may gain a solid purchase. on the pile section P'. As illustrated in Figure 2, herein, the contour bar 34 is bent to 'tthe front'contour of the pile section P and is adapted to present a level clamping surface te the fronthalf 21 of the bifurcated clamp Il. Anadditional contour bar may be used between the piling P and the back half of the clamp if necessary.

The guide rollers I4 may be cylindrical wheels 'withxbeveled .rims adapted to. Imate with grooves or `Vdepressions 3.5,A 35=formed along bothsides of Y a .male interlock. edge .-136 lextending along; one

margin of a conventionalfdriven pile section P, as seen-inlFigures land .2. When the bifurcated clamp isproperlyfmounted along the Vbottornleft handmargin-of a pilefsection P by the bolts l26, asexplained above, the guide rollers will rest-in thein-terlock groovesf' on either sideof the interlock edge 33 of thev previously. .driven pile section P, to guide the pile P during its upward trav-el, as will appear more clear-ly hereinafter under the operationalfdescription.

Use and'operation`V The operationalsteps for threading; adjacent pile sections together by, means. of this apparatus are4 shown schematicallyV in. Figures 5,6.. and 7 of. thev .drawings It will. be. noted fromthese gures that the. initial.operation..-for. threading a newpile Ysection-P onto a. previouslydrivense'c.-

position.showninFigure 5., with themating. interlocking edges .20 .and approximately. edge to edge. In this position the, threader may. be mountedon the.. hanging pileP near. its lower leftY hand cornerby means. of.`the tightening bolts 26,- so that the. draw barslie.belowandparallel tothe lower trailing edge e of the. .pile P. with theguiderollerslc resting in .thefront andback interlock grooves 35 of.`the driven pile section P. Thusly,.mount`ed between .the two pile sections, with the canilever I2` in a raised position,.as shown.y in Figure 1, the. threader v guides. the. pile section P as it ispulled upwardly by a-suitable Y crane or bythe hoisting tackleof the pile driver.Y

When the pilesectionsreach. the relative posi.- tions shown in Figure 6 where. the trailingedge ofthe pile P isjust above the. topof. thepreviouslyy driven `pile P`,.the. cam.lever is pulled downwardly by the lanyard 33. Asthe lanyard pulls .thecam lever I2 downwardly, fthe .cam end 3U pushes againstthecam-plates I3 to. force the bifurcated clamp II attached-to. the pilesection P' to the left-alongthe draw bars liluntil the matingV interlocking edgesofithepiles Pl andP are in registering relation `withone another, as shown-in Figure 7. The pileP isthen lowered to cause the .interlocking edges 20 and.. 36v to mateasthey are threadedtogether. When the pile P' is lowered a sufficient distance,- such as to the initial loadingpositionshown in Figure- 5, the threader may be removed by loosening the bolts 2S to separate the `two'halves'suflcientlv to allowremoval'of the rollers III-"from the." grooves 35 of the driven pile P and the pile P' may then be further lowered and driven into the ground. This process repeats itself until the desired retaining wall is completed. It should be noted that by use of this method it is not necessari7 for a man to thread the pile sections together by hand, which is especially dangerous if the driven piles extend up to the air any great distance,` since the lanyard operated threader illustrated herein is capable of operation from the ground level.

While I have herein shown and illustrated one form in which my invention may appear, it wid be readily perceived that numerous changes, modications and the substitution of equivalents may be employed Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated herein. except as may appear in the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for threading together adjacent steel pile sections of the type having male and female interlocking edges, adjustable clamping means adapted to grip the lower marginal portion of a suspended steel pile, draw bar means inserted through the lower portions of said clamping means, guide rollers mounted at one end of each of said draw bars, a cam lever mounted for vertical arcuate movement about a pivot pin extending between said bars, cam means operably associated with said cam lever for moving said clamping means laterally along said draw bars, and lanyard means operable from the ground level for actuating said cam lever and cam.

2. In an apparatus for threading together ad jacent steel pile sections of the type having male and female interlocking edges, adjustable clamping means adapted to grip the lower marginal portion of a suspended steel pile, draw bar means inserted through the lower portions of said clamping means, guide rollers mounted at one end of said draw bars and adapted to roll along grooves of said male interlocking margin, a cam lever mounted for vertical arcuate movement about a pivot pin extending between said bars, cam means operably associated with said cam lever for moving said clamping means laterally along said draw bars, and lanyard means operable from the ground level for actuating said cam lever and cam.

3. In a mechanical apparatus for threading to gether adjacent sheet pile sections of the type having male and female interlocking lateral Inargins, clamping means for gripping the lower marginal portion of a piling section which is to be interlocked with a previously driven pile section, draw er inserted through the lower portions of `said clamping means, guide rollers rotatably mounted on said bars for guiding said female interlocking margin oi said pile section along said male interlocking margin of a pre viously driven pile section, a cam lever mounted for vertical arcuate movement about a transverse pin positioned between said bars, cam means operably associated with said cam lever and a lanyard for actuating said cam lever and cam whereby said male and female interlocking margins oi adjacent pile sections are brought in mating relation with one another and said sections may be thereby threaded together.

fi. An apparatus for interlockingly threading ene edge of an undriven sheet pile with a mating edge of a previously driven sheet pile, comprising :n combination, clamping means for gripping the einer end of said undriven pile, guide means for uiding said undriven pile along one vertical mar 'inal edge of said previous driven pile, draw bar means slidingly mounted through said clamp means and supporting said guide means thereon, and lever means operatively associated with said draw bar means and said clamp means for moving the latter along said barmeans to bring said one edge of said undriven pile into threading alignment with said mating edge of said previously driven pile.

HOWARD F. CAUDILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the oi' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,122,835 Deros July 5, 1938 2,161,482 Miller et al June 6, 1939 

